A patient's pelvic floor includes of a sheet of muscles and ligaments that support the organs that fill the patient's pelvic cavity, namely the bladder, uterus, colon and small intestine. If these supporting tissues stretch or weaken, some of the patient's internal organs may sink lower in their body, or prolapse into the vagina. This condition is referred to as pelvic organ prolapse (POP). There are generally four forms of POP, including: cystocele, which is a weakening of the vaginal wall, allowing the bladder to protrude into the vagina from above; rectocele, which is a weakening of the back wall of the vaginal that allows the rectum to protrude into the vagina; vaginal vault prolapse (uterine prolapse) in which the uterus intrudes into the vagina from above; and enterocele is which the small intestine descends to protrude into the vagina.
Surgery is an option that offers relief from the undesirable effects of POP. In generally, the surgeries include some form of a trans-vaginal or an open abdominal approach or incision, and these approaches might present the patient with several days of rest and recovery.